Cornish outdoor clothing label Finisterre directly sets the circular design in motion with the launch of the first From Wetsuits product, the changing mat. Perhaps this changing mat marks a great achievement in addressing the surf industry's foremost sustainability challenge of wasted old wetsuits.
Finisterre worked with circular economy innovators Circular Flow for years to come up with this holistic and green solution represented by the changing mat, From Wetsuits.
Of these, Finisterre could return over 1,000 wetsuits collected and deconstructed by Circular Flow to recover usable materials for general use. The disassembly process is done by hand, removing zippers and all non-neoprene parts and sorting the elements removed into their respective recycling streams. Finally, the neoprene remaining with its inner linings is recycled into new sheets of material.
Finisterre adds, "But the circular journey does not end here" with the mat's welfare, as this life ends up with a customer who can return it through Finisterre's partnership with Reskinned, ensuring it goes back to Circular Flow for further recycling." Repeatable up to seven times before being lastly repurposed as industrial materials, such as insulation.
Tom Kay, head of Finisterre, commented, "We are so proud of all the energy that went into making the From Wetsuits mat happen. It is about taking responsibility for the products we make—and recreating them time and time again."